More than 120 million Americans live with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and researchers have now discovered that this condition may make an aggressive form of breast cancer even more dangerous.
A new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine explains why patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and obesity-driven diabetes tend to have worse outcomes. The findings, published in Molecular Cancer Research, suggest that these patients need special monitoring and treatment approaches to improve their chances of survival.
How Diabetes Worsens Breast Cancer
Currently, doctors do not treat breast cancer patients with obesity-driven diabetes any differently than those without metabolic conditions. However, this study reveals that diabetes changes the biology of breast cancer, making it more aggressive and increasing the risk of brain metastasis.
“We hope our study will lead to better treatments for patients with aggressive breast cancer, especially those with metabolic disorders like diabetes,” said Dr. Gerald V. Denis, the study’s lead author and professor at Boston University. “By uncovering how cancer and metabolism are connected, we move one step closer to more personalized and effective therapies.”
The Role of Exosomes and MicroRNAs
The researchers focused on exosomes—tiny particles released by fat cells—that carry molecules called microRNAs. These microRNAs influence many biological processes, including cell growth and insulin secretion. The team collected exosomes from fat cells and studied how they affect TNBC cells in lab experiments.
When these exosomes were added to cancer cells, researchers observed concerning changes. The cancer cells grew faster, moved more easily, survived under stress, and had an increased ability to spread to the brain. This suggests that microRNAs from fat cells worsen TNBC behavior, especially in patients with insulin resistance caused by obesity and diabetes.
What This Means for Patients
The researchers also analyzed breast cancer patient data to see how these microRNAs influence cancer progression. Their findings suggest that diabetes-related changes in cancer cells may predict patient survival. Understanding these links could lead to better strategies for treating breast cancer in patients with metabolic conditions.
“Our study highlights that cancer does not develop in isolation—it is affected by a person’s overall health, including conditions like diabetes,” said Denis. “This is urgent because obesity-driven diabetes is on the rise, now affecting over 537 million adults worldwide. Treating underlying conditions, not just cancer itself, could improve patient outcomes.”
Toward Better Treatments
This research points to the need for oncologists to consider diabetes and metabolic health when treating breast cancer patients. By identifying the role of exosomes and microRNAs, scientists may be able to develop new treatment approaches that target both cancer and the metabolic conditions that make it worse.
Other Boston University researchers involved in the study include Yuhan Qiu, Andrew Chen, Pablo Llevenes, Michael Seen, Naomi Y. Ko, and Stefano Monti. Their work brings new hope for more personalized and effective cancer treatments in the future.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the cooking connection between potatoes and diabetes, and low calorie diets may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about protein power: a new ally in diabetes management, and pineapple and diabetes: A sweet surprise.
The research findings can be found in Cancer Biology.
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